Brewster Gardens, Ladbroke Grove

Description

Bygone days

Just a few minutes’ walk from zone 1 lies a labyrinth of leafy streets, presided over by tall red brick houses. Calm and solid, this part of town has something of a patriarchal air about it, of headmasters and gold watches and nicely buttered toast. Yet Brewster Gardens is not all it seems. Outside, it’s as sensible as its neighbours. But peer at the doorbell, and you’ll see it came from an iconic London Routemaster bus. Inside, the radiators hail from Victorian hospitals and the hall coat stand is a train luggage rack. Old meets new at every turn, for at Brewster Gardens there’s a quirky story behind every fixture and fitting…

Crafty Pair

Your hosts are Londoners through and through. She's a TV producer, while he's a film colourist, and they've brought their professional visual flair into their home together with a love of their city’s history. They, and their gorgeous two year old girl, adore afternoons in the park, and scouring the antiques market at Portobello for new finds to add to their collection.

Rediscovering lost art

From that first ring on the Routemaster door bell you know you’re somewhere special. The funky open plan kitchen, whose teak worktops were salvaged from old school laboratories, offers plenty of space to eat and entertain. You then have a choice, head outside to the pretty private garden, or to the sitting room, where you can cosy down beneath another of your hosts’ junk shop trophies, a crystal Baccarat chandelier. Upstairs you’ll find a bright single bedroom and the family bathroom, with its walls clad in chic retro tiles.

A floor further and you’ll discover the master bedroom, with its swirling wrought iron bed and an ensuite filled with objets trouvés, our White Company toiletries, and a stunning roll top bath. Keep climbing and you’ll reach the guest double, and a small cloakroom, and there’s a further bedroom in the bright loft.

Reclaim the streets

You’re a three minute walk from two different parks, and Notting Hill, with its shops, boutiques, cafes and snazzy restaurants, is a stroll away. And if you want to get to the very centre of town, you can be there in less than half an hour from Ladbroke Grove station.